Yes! They don't do physicals anymore, just annual wellness checks.
Forty minutes and all they do is check your blood pressure, ask you questions, and ask you if you want the flu and cov vax.
What happened to looking at people's eyes, ears, and nose, checking their skin for unnatural moles, listening to their heartbeat and breathing, etc etc? The specialists are just as bad.
Yes! They don't do physicals anymore, just annual wellness checks.
Forty minutes and all they do is check your blood pressure, ask you questions, and ask you if you want the flu and cov vax.
What happened to looking at people's eyes, ears, and nose, checking their skin for unnatural moles, listening to their heartbeat and breathing, etc etc? The specialists are just as bad.
As an NP for over 18 years, we were trained to do annuals, annual physicals, do lab work and of course take people’s blood pressure, pulse etc. The point is; suddenly and unexpectedly, we were told not to do that any longer and it was just before COVID. Funny how things aligned?!?!
Oh wow! They used lockdowns to erase all expectations about 'normal' even with visits to the doctor. Nefarious.
I can't believe people aren't complaining about not getting what they're paying for, especially Medicare retirees who have large monthly payments taken out of their social security checks and dish out hefty co-pays with every visit.
I was referred to the only endocrinologist in my area by my GP, had to wait six months, paid my $60 co-pay, only to have her tell me she doesn't deal with sex hormones -- but could prescribe levothyroxine to me, which I had already tried and had problems with, which was why I was there. She hustled to find other options when I said I just paid $60 for this -- but it was a big waste of my money.
EZ-You need a good naturopath. They know hormones. Yes you pay out of pocket, but at least you get actual care. I use my insurance for specialists and major medical.
My daughter got referred to an endocrinologist last month at major medical center about 3 hours from home for a perplexing situation. We really liked the doc and he seemed very interested in her case, ordered a boatload of tests. Then, when we checked out, we were told the next available appt with him is...... Christmas Eve. And you are not allowed to go with another provider there. 🤦♀️ A big waste of time, money and hope.
As someone recommended above, go to a naturopath. Send the test results in advance -- you were lucky your endocrinologist did the tests as I had problems with that. It's an avenue worth trying if you can afford out of pocket.
Yes! Definitely the silver lining!! Now with labs in hand, doing our own research is much easier and we have pinpointed a holistic practitioner who can help.
The issue was that I wanted more than the TSH test and had gone to the doctor to get testing of sex hormones and other aspects of thyroid (T4 to T3 conversion). I'd read the literature and had doctors in the past who'd been willing to do that and established that the conversion was the problem. But no, you have to go to an alternative doc and pay out of pocket to get those tests and treatments.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one R1ghtTh1nk! :) Endocrine and cardiology friends all agree that we use too high numbers for 'normal' TSH and HgbA1C. I agree; cardiologist started family member on Synthroid over the advice of his PMD and the improvement in his previously 'fine' mental acuity was noticeable to F&F who were not aware of the med change. Endocrine friend's advice: "try it at low dose and titrate up as needed and see what improves." You can always stop it... :)
I’ve been on Synthroid for 25 years. Recently lost my taste and smell (no covid) and in my research I see that long-term Synthroid use can be a cause. Don’t know the mechanism though, or what if anything I can do. Or if I can get off of it. Working with a homeopathic doctor at the moment, but homeopathy is slow and “try this, try that.”
I use Armour Thyroid and have for 25 years. It is a natural product made from animal thyroid glands (usually a pig's). Only had to have it adjusted once. It also has to be prescribed. For some reasons most doctors run to Synthroid since its synthetic. My parents were on it for years, and my mom still is. Dad passed away in 8/2021.
I did use Armour for a time but often had trouble getting it because of their production issues. My doctor also said that Synthroid was more precise in measurement of the hormone. But I’ll look into Armour again.
Armour has T3 and T4, so I've stayed on it. I've read about other natural ones, so possibly check those out. Armour has been around for years. My doctor at the time was not familiar with it so he called the compounding pharmacy and reviewed it with them for over a half hour. The pharmacist told me he never had a doctor do that before. Unfortunately, he retired right before covid hit! He was the best!
My medical plan doesn't cover it. They only cover the synthetic because that's where the money is. I had a good experience on Armour and paid out of pocket for it until I moved to England, where coverage varied from one place to another.
I basically pay for it. They barely cover it under the plan I have now. When I worked they covered more of it, but the Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. are similar to what you are experiencing.
Often, losing your sense of taste and smell is associated with a magnesium deficiency. (and with being low on other trace minerals like manganese).
Although being on Synthroid for that long can be very bad for your health in other ways and even cause cancer, there may also be other contributing causes. (Synthroid is a "BandAid, not a cure." It doesn't actually correct the imbalance, and can leave other major organs without adequate hormonal support, causing a failure cascade further down the road.)
Filtered water can also be a culprit in depleting magnesium and trace minerals, as all of the good minerals are filtered out along with all of the toxins. Drinking electrolytes can really help. Deep Roots at Home has an article about how to make "salt sole," which can also help with mineral replenishment.
If that is the cause, does one simply wait for the return of taste and smell? I tried nicotine patches, seeing online that it worked for some, but not for me.
Touching and proximity changed with Covid big time. My doc always checked but I know how special he was. He died of an aortic aneurysm 2 year ago. Yes, he was jabbed. My new pulmonologist is younger and not as touchy feely. My PCP is great. She checks everything she can get to with my clothes on and asks about the rest!
Psoriasis is usually a childhood vaccine injury— at least 85% of the
time. It’s listed on most vaccine manufacturers inserts, it’s just rarely read by doc nor patient.
If you got vaccines as a kid, you can research good heavy metal detoxes like 8 HOT baths with epsom salts and bentonite clay. Really cheap and frequently cures it helps a good bit.
Time for new doctor! I seem to have outgrown my psoriasis! I never had it badly, like my daughter does and she only has 10%. I had just a couple of small spots left and after a heavy course of prednisone after a bad bout of flu, it went away. That was 7 years ago. Good luck.
Our family lost our exceptional, old school, caring, Christian Lyme doc to a pulmonary embolism 2 years ago. He was full of life, vigor and joy at age 70 with no plans to retire. We heard he took the J&J jab so he could travel. Truly irreplaceable and a great loss to so many 😞
My doctor was 69 and planning heart valve surgery when he turned 70, just like my dad had done. I told him at one point that my biggest fear with my terminal condition was that he would retire. He said he was never going to. Prophetic! He got the mRNA vaccines. I think he said Pfizer. I couldn't go to the memorial service at a local high school auditorium but my grandson worked security that day and said there were over 400 people there. He was well loved.
Damn, really? Hope y’all ignored that piece of advice. Funny also how after eons of “aspirate,” nurses were instructed not to aspirate. Still not quite sure why the strong push, as actually aspirating blood is really rare.
Most of the questions they ask at the annual "wellness check" are from a list provided by HHS, and are designed (via double negatives and repetition) to get you to state that you're feeling hopeless and depressed. BOOM! Another client for psycho meds!
There is no evidence statins are helpful to women of any age or to the elderly. They only help middle aged men who already have heart disease and evidently that is because they are anti-inflammatory.
A male friend of mine had a heart attack at 51. They gave him statins. He was dead of another heart attack within a year. Maybe they are more helpful to others but I really wonder.
I am not going to take that chance, not to mention all the issues you get with side effects. As a nurse, lol, I have been trying to talk people OUT of taking meds, I really need to change over to the holistic side of things, should never have gotten into the RN for worldly health field!
Good for you--go for it!! I feel similar regrets as a dietitian. But your knowledge is definitely a valuable asset that can be used for a greater good.
working on the Functional Nutrition Alliance classes, which does kinda both, but goes for root cause over symptom management, might be up your alley also ???
I jumped ship 15 years ago when chronic illness visited our family. Total 180 from all the things I had previously promoted as true and good. Took it all back to ground zero. Functional medicine/nutrition/chiropractic all the way!
My husband is a sugar fiend. Eats entire packs of cookies and then eats candy. I have been telling him for years that he needs to quit eating so much junk.
Because his BP med hasn't been working that well, his doctor wanted to add on another one. The BP meds he already has makes him feel crappy so he responded to this by stopping his sugar consumption. After a couple of weeks, his BP is down by 20-30 points and they don't understand it.
He complained that the meds made him dizzy. The doc said that cutting back on sugar can make people dizzy and that he shouldn't cut back so much. Sure, doc, keep pushing poison.
I have to give him credit. I never thought he'd be able to do this. They halved his current dosage of generic norvasc. We're hoping if he keeps it up and loses a few more pounds that he'll be off the drugs completely.
I give him some chocolate now and then if he seems like he's going to lose it but other than that he's been really good. He does eat other carbs but he's not snacking on potato chips either.
I can't tell you how many bags of BBQ chips I have eaten in my life. It was my favorite when I was a kid. Here in California we used to have Laura Scudder's potato chips which were the best. Just as well we don't have them anymore.
Dr. Michael Eades was discussing Viagra in his substack the other day. It was developed as a heart drug but got sidetracked :). He suggested that it is probably a much better drug for heart disease than statins but he couldn't find any RCT studies on it.
I feel fortunate that I read the book "How to Stop Your Doctor Killing You" by a British doctor named Vernon Coleman, which gave me encouragement and tools for saying no.
I recently had a nurse tell me I was the only patient she'd encountered in a long time who isn't taking meds (here in the US). Probably because I moved here from the UK where the NHS pays for the meds and not the patient so they don't prescribe wantonly. The NHS is about cost control rather than making profits from patients. That system has its own flaws, but it's a much better and fairer system than the one here in the US in my experience.
I have had to put PAs/NPs in their place myself, I tell my kids and others who will listen, you are your own advocate, you have to open up your mouth!!! It also behooves people to DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH!!! Look into what ails you, look first to see if there isn't anything homeopathic you can do first? Going to the doc should be the LAST option, not the first. I have the sinus/cold going around, been the THIRD TIME this season, means I have to beef up my immune system, what and how can I do that? research will tell me, and I will work on it.
Yes! I'm with you completely and take the same approach.
Same with vets. They rely on meds, vaxes, and surgery. Lots of holistic and natural treatments available that are much better, if you do some research online. My cat is far happier and healthier for it.
LOL, at first I thought you were talking about military vets until you said your cat...hahahahha, but same thing, yes, vets, from what I hear, can be just as bad as docs, not sure what your pet will get when they get their vaxxes or what is in their food from what I hear about many dogs dying from Purina pet foods???
Yes, I've heard about the Purina scandal. My cat will only eat a certain dry food, so I have started putting extra virgin coconut oil on his fur, which he then licks off, as well as on a problem area. His fur is now shiny healthy and the problem area has resolved. I also use it myself as body lotion.
I learned about using coconut oil from holistic vet Judy Morgan in her book Raising Naturally Healthy Pets. She's great on natural solutions.
That is awesome, may do that on my dog as no matter what we have tried, she is still flea ridden. Also been talking about in my classes about coconut water over water, has many of the minerals we need that we lack in our normal diets. You can trust most natural solutions because you either make it or you can read what actually goes in it!
I'm going through the flea thing with my cat right now and gotten it mostly under control -- it takes time with their laying cycle to get rid of them all.
Judy Morgan has a lot of different solutions to try. I've done dishwashing soap baths -- fleas die in soapy water instantly. But then they can be hard to reach in the fur, so I do a flea comb three times a day with my cat on the toilet lid. He loves it so much that I find him on the toilet lid waiting for me! It's also really good for his lymph system, particularly in winter when he sleeps a lot.
You can also slather the fur in coconut oil from top to bottom. Cover the furniture first -- only a problem the first day as it absorbs and rubs off but stays in the deep fur continuing to do its magic. That helped a lot.
Lemon juice from the inside of the lemon can also be combed through the fur -- fleas hate it. There are also essential oils they hate, which must be diluted first.
To get rid of fleas in the environment, boil then simmer 3-4 cut-up lemons with rinds in 2 cups water for about an hour. Cool overnight, strain, add 1.5 cups white vinegar, put in spray bottle, and use that to spray everything. As well as doing a regular vacuum as fleas can get in carpets.
IDK, and trust your experience, but the Liverpool Care Pathway seemed to have knocked off a whole bunch of your elderly, even when they weren't terminal. Read up on the lady with the dislocated shoulder and the 'appendicitis' case who were unnecessarily sedated, denied nutrition and made DNR's without their consent. The reports sounded legit, but no way to verify. I can say that the LCP use of up to 60mg midazolam is deadly...
The NHS being government funded is subject to political pressures, and the handling of things during the pandemic across the country was ridiculous, harmful, and even fatal for so many people. Those kinds of incidents did happen, and so many people couldn't get any help or treatment at all.
But comparing the two systems I find the NHS preferable in a number of very important ways. If you have the money for private treatment, that's a different matter and the US is probably a better bet.
I live in the U.K., and if you are working, you do pay for meds (prescriptions). Of course, lots of people don’t work, retired, unemployed, children, but as I say…if you work, you pay, perhaps not the full cost, but depending on the medicine sometimes the prescription costs more than if you could buy the med yourself…
It seems as if everyone I know makes appointments for this "wellness" visit to doctors. How insane! You go to a doctor even though you feel fine? I thought they were for sick people. But I've now crossed that reason off my list. Maybe I'd show up at an E.R. for a broken bone, but I'm still thinking on that one.
Mine too! The robo calls for my “in-home 😳😖wellness visit” come at least weekly. And I get a $40 Visa gift card for letting a stranger into my house to check my BP and make sure I am “safe”. Grrr!
When I went for my last (about 5 years ago) Medicare wellness visit they wanted me to draw hands on a clock & asked me what the date was!!! I answered “how do you think I got here by myself if I didn’t know what day or time it is???” Never went back for one of those. So demeaning!
We don't answer any questions that are not pertinent to the reason for the visit, we only go when absolutely necessary and we love our doctor - he has been my doctor since I was a teenager and he has been my husband's doctor since we were married over 30 years ago. During a visit several years ago re: concerns for aging family members, he told me that the reason they ask older patients to draw a clock is that people in the beginning stages of cognitive decline don't draw a clock normally, i.e., draw a circle, add the 12, 6, 9, and 3 numbers first, and then add the rest of the numbers. That way, the numbers are evenly spaced around the clock. People with cognitive deficits tend to start at 12 or 1, and then continue on around the clock face, but the spacing is all off.
I wait until the waiting room (when I rarely go to Dr) to fill out forms so I can answer only questions that I find relevant and appropriate. If you try to do them online, as they push you to do, it won’t let you leave any of those questions blank.
For my last 7-8 blood pressure checks, I have had to instruct the tech on the proper protocol for taking an accurate blood pressure. And that means elevating the cuff to heart level, both feet on the floor, not chatting during the test and having the proper size cuff. One time I had to argue with the tech as she tried to use too small a cuff and finally pointed out that she had caused a bruise on the previous occasion. She consented to using an appropriated sized cuff and magically, my blood pressure numbers matched my readings from home. Since they use these numbers to push blood pressure drugs, is this on purpose?
How about the brisk march from the waiting room to the back room for the bp check. I’ve complained about that as well and had the Dr do a second check after I’m in the exam room for a while.
But they're so important and their time is so valuable, CarO Lyn! Of course you must march briskly and get a bp reading that requires meds so the appointment is worth their time.
The "wellness visits" for children are definitely to administer and push vaccines on the kids. Worked so well for the kiddos that they now do the same for all the adults. No reason for annual wellness visits for any age.
Yes! Back when we had insurance and our boys were babies/toddlers, I would take them in regularly like youre 'supposed to'. Once the doc mentioned some eczema under one of their arms (happens often w them in winter, especially during a growth spurt) ad to put aquaphor on it. I knew that (tho i dont use aquaphor) but duh, moisturize. Get the bill for the wellness check and everything was covered EXCEPT for $75- a "consultation fee". Because she said use moisturizer on dry skin for a baby. Make it make sense.
My doc asked me if I wanted him to bring up vaxes anymore because I always say "no, thanks". I suspect either he's getting people upset that he's pushing them or he's afraid I'm going to spout the research, or both.
That’s so true. It’s disgusting. I do go to a private medical organization now and I have a wonderful PA. She does a pretty good job and asked a lot of good questions. My son is dating a wonderful Christian ER doctor. She advises her patients looking for a new primary to get PAs. She says the doctors are far too busy, and many of them very arrogant and prideful. the PAs I’ve had for the most part have been very good and much more concerned and take their time and ask good questions. There’s always an exception, of course.
Good suggestion. My doctor is actually not bad as he works in a small practice in a rural area, but he's a long drive so it would be good to find someone closer. If it snows I'm in trouble getting on his schedule again. Maybe a PA is a solution.
All of that stuff is for the specialists. They need to make sure YOUR money gets spread around evenly to every corner of the industrial medical complex.
Yes! They don't do physicals anymore, just annual wellness checks.
Forty minutes and all they do is check your blood pressure, ask you questions, and ask you if you want the flu and cov vax.
What happened to looking at people's eyes, ears, and nose, checking their skin for unnatural moles, listening to their heartbeat and breathing, etc etc? The specialists are just as bad.
As an NP for over 18 years, we were trained to do annuals, annual physicals, do lab work and of course take people’s blood pressure, pulse etc. The point is; suddenly and unexpectedly, we were told not to do that any longer and it was just before COVID. Funny how things aligned?!?!
Oh wow! They used lockdowns to erase all expectations about 'normal' even with visits to the doctor. Nefarious.
I can't believe people aren't complaining about not getting what they're paying for, especially Medicare retirees who have large monthly payments taken out of their social security checks and dish out hefty co-pays with every visit.
I was referred to the only endocrinologist in my area by my GP, had to wait six months, paid my $60 co-pay, only to have her tell me she doesn't deal with sex hormones -- but could prescribe levothyroxine to me, which I had already tried and had problems with, which was why I was there. She hustled to find other options when I said I just paid $60 for this -- but it was a big waste of my money.
The whole system is an incredible scam now.
EZ-You need a good naturopath. They know hormones. Yes you pay out of pocket, but at least you get actual care. I use my insurance for specialists and major medical.
Good suggestion. Will pursue that.
My daughter got referred to an endocrinologist last month at major medical center about 3 hours from home for a perplexing situation. We really liked the doc and he seemed very interested in her case, ordered a boatload of tests. Then, when we checked out, we were told the next available appt with him is...... Christmas Eve. And you are not allowed to go with another provider there. 🤦♀️ A big waste of time, money and hope.
As someone recommended above, go to a naturopath. Send the test results in advance -- you were lucky your endocrinologist did the tests as I had problems with that. It's an avenue worth trying if you can afford out of pocket.
Yes! Definitely the silver lining!! Now with labs in hand, doing our own research is much easier and we have pinpointed a holistic practitioner who can help.
Some biologists aren’t equivalent. Tried Synthroid?
The issue was that I wanted more than the TSH test and had gone to the doctor to get testing of sex hormones and other aspects of thyroid (T4 to T3 conversion). I'd read the literature and had doctors in the past who'd been willing to do that and established that the conversion was the problem. But no, you have to go to an alternative doc and pay out of pocket to get those tests and treatments.
But thanks for the suggestion!
You can order your own labs without a doctor’s order at www.ownyourlabs.com and they have a great thyroid panel which includes antibodies for $151
Thank you for sharing this information!
The TSH is sorta the bottom line. If your pituitary senses enough active hormone and your TSH is mid-low normal, that’s reassuring.
"Normal" varies by age and sex. Look up "optimal" TSH levels - by age and sex - to see whether your test result is in range for YOU.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one R1ghtTh1nk! :) Endocrine and cardiology friends all agree that we use too high numbers for 'normal' TSH and HgbA1C. I agree; cardiologist started family member on Synthroid over the advice of his PMD and the improvement in his previously 'fine' mental acuity was noticeable to F&F who were not aware of the med change. Endocrine friend's advice: "try it at low dose and titrate up as needed and see what improves." You can always stop it... :)
I’ve been on Synthroid for 25 years. Recently lost my taste and smell (no covid) and in my research I see that long-term Synthroid use can be a cause. Don’t know the mechanism though, or what if anything I can do. Or if I can get off of it. Working with a homeopathic doctor at the moment, but homeopathy is slow and “try this, try that.”
Homeopathy is slow because the homeopath is trying to detox your body from what allopathic drugs did to get you to this point. Be patient.
And be very aware of cognitive changes. Friend missed some early signs when HMO switched her to generic.
I use Armour Thyroid and have for 25 years. It is a natural product made from animal thyroid glands (usually a pig's). Only had to have it adjusted once. It also has to be prescribed. For some reasons most doctors run to Synthroid since its synthetic. My parents were on it for years, and my mom still is. Dad passed away in 8/2021.
I did use Armour for a time but often had trouble getting it because of their production issues. My doctor also said that Synthroid was more precise in measurement of the hormone. But I’ll look into Armour again.
Armour has T3 and T4, so I've stayed on it. I've read about other natural ones, so possibly check those out. Armour has been around for years. My doctor at the time was not familiar with it so he called the compounding pharmacy and reviewed it with them for over a half hour. The pharmacist told me he never had a doctor do that before. Unfortunately, he retired right before covid hit! He was the best!
My medical plan doesn't cover it. They only cover the synthetic because that's where the money is. I had a good experience on Armour and paid out of pocket for it until I moved to England, where coverage varied from one place to another.
I basically pay for it. They barely cover it under the plan I have now. When I worked they covered more of it, but the Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. are similar to what you are experiencing.
Often, losing your sense of taste and smell is associated with a magnesium deficiency. (and with being low on other trace minerals like manganese).
Although being on Synthroid for that long can be very bad for your health in other ways and even cause cancer, there may also be other contributing causes. (Synthroid is a "BandAid, not a cure." It doesn't actually correct the imbalance, and can leave other major organs without adequate hormonal support, causing a failure cascade further down the road.)
Filtered water can also be a culprit in depleting magnesium and trace minerals, as all of the good minerals are filtered out along with all of the toxins. Drinking electrolytes can really help. Deep Roots at Home has an article about how to make "salt sole," which can also help with mineral replenishment.
Thank you. It’s definitely past time for me to find an alternative to Synthroid.
Just fyi, C can also cause that with zero other symptoms. Weird, huh?
If that is the cause, does one simply wait for the return of taste and smell? I tried nicotine patches, seeing online that it worked for some, but not for me.
Go to https://covid19criticalcare.com/ and look for treatment
Not much choice, I guess. 😢 I will add that the folks I know for whom it worked used the gum. Local effect??? Have no idea.
Sorry, biologics!
I take n p thyroid hormone. Mine was chemically ablated years ago.
Monitoring your TSH would seem a good idea. Good luck!
Every 3 months!
Pay out of pocket.
Not "doing sex hormones" may be the out to avoid transing people.
Touching and proximity changed with Covid big time. My doc always checked but I know how special he was. He died of an aortic aneurysm 2 year ago. Yes, he was jabbed. My new pulmonologist is younger and not as touchy feely. My PCP is great. She checks everything she can get to with my clothes on and asks about the rest!
Like my dermatologist who inspected me from across the room.
But he had a light treatment to sell me for my psoriasis!
Psoriasis is usually a childhood vaccine injury— at least 85% of the
time. It’s listed on most vaccine manufacturers inserts, it’s just rarely read by doc nor patient.
If you got vaccines as a kid, you can research good heavy metal detoxes like 8 HOT baths with epsom salts and bentonite clay. Really cheap and frequently cures it helps a good bit.
Thanks. Those baths help morgellons syndrome ( cross domain bacteria) too.
Money in the pocket, just not your pocket.
I tried the light treatment. My mom offered to pay the 45$ copays. Burned my skin, very painful, very little results for the money and pain.
I think if I heal my leaky gut, that may affect the psoriasis more than any external treatment or pharmaceutical biologic drug
Sounds crazy but go follow Dr Paul Saladino and his animal based diet. The carnivore diet has cured so many of the incurable
https://youtu.be/zsyhfEskuUo?si=sazBuyvFJp6UVsJi
Time for new doctor! I seem to have outgrown my psoriasis! I never had it badly, like my daughter does and she only has 10%. I had just a couple of small spots left and after a heavy course of prednisone after a bad bout of flu, it went away. That was 7 years ago. Good luck.
Thank you. Psoriasis is the least of my worries! Laundry list of autoimmune issues. Blessed with an integrative medicine doctor recently.
This is gold for a comedy skit. Dana Carvey and David Spade would be great as doc and patient.
But sorry for that ludicrous experience.
😮 That doesn't rise to any standard of care, especially since masks and gloves will save them!! 😜
Our family lost our exceptional, old school, caring, Christian Lyme doc to a pulmonary embolism 2 years ago. He was full of life, vigor and joy at age 70 with no plans to retire. We heard he took the J&J jab so he could travel. Truly irreplaceable and a great loss to so many 😞
My doctor was 69 and planning heart valve surgery when he turned 70, just like my dad had done. I told him at one point that my biggest fear with my terminal condition was that he would retire. He said he was never going to. Prophetic! He got the mRNA vaccines. I think he said Pfizer. I couldn't go to the memorial service at a local high school auditorium but my grandson worked security that day and said there were over 400 people there. He was well loved.
Absolutely tragic 😟
My dermatologist NP says take off as much of your clothes as you are comfortable with, and put on the robe. She is very thorough!
Damn, really? Hope y’all ignored that piece of advice. Funny also how after eons of “aspirate,” nurses were instructed not to aspirate. Still not quite sure why the strong push, as actually aspirating blood is really rare.
Most of the questions they ask at the annual "wellness check" are from a list provided by HHS, and are designed (via double negatives and repetition) to get you to state that you're feeling hopeless and depressed. BOOM! Another client for psycho meds!
Don’t forget the question that evolved in the last decade or so…”do you feel safe at home?”
Which they often ask in front of people you might have brought with you. ( experience when taking my parents to assorted doctor appointments )
Hahaha! 🤯
I'm guessing they keep measuring blood pressure to have 'data' to prescribe statins, which about 40% of US adults take and half of men over 65.
Ka-ching ka-ching for big pharma.
I refused those, even my liberal PA said I would prescribe them for you but you wouldn't take them would you, I am like "nope!"
There is no evidence statins are helpful to women of any age or to the elderly. They only help middle aged men who already have heart disease and evidently that is because they are anti-inflammatory.
A male friend of mine had a heart attack at 51. They gave him statins. He was dead of another heart attack within a year. Maybe they are more helpful to others but I really wonder.
I am not going to take that chance, not to mention all the issues you get with side effects. As a nurse, lol, I have been trying to talk people OUT of taking meds, I really need to change over to the holistic side of things, should never have gotten into the RN for worldly health field!
Good for you--go for it!! I feel similar regrets as a dietitian. But your knowledge is definitely a valuable asset that can be used for a greater good.
working on the Functional Nutrition Alliance classes, which does kinda both, but goes for root cause over symptom management, might be up your alley also ???
I jumped ship 15 years ago when chronic illness visited our family. Total 180 from all the things I had previously promoted as true and good. Took it all back to ground zero. Functional medicine/nutrition/chiropractic all the way!
Amen to that, that is where I am heading myself!!!
Not to mention that they double your risk of type 2 diabetes.
They recently tried to prescribe them to my brother for cholesterol when he's already diabetic!
I wonder if doctors even pay attention to the daily news.
They certainly don't keep up with the medical literature in their specialties!
They don't seem to know much of anything.
My husband is a sugar fiend. Eats entire packs of cookies and then eats candy. I have been telling him for years that he needs to quit eating so much junk.
Because his BP med hasn't been working that well, his doctor wanted to add on another one. The BP meds he already has makes him feel crappy so he responded to this by stopping his sugar consumption. After a couple of weeks, his BP is down by 20-30 points and they don't understand it.
He complained that the meds made him dizzy. The doc said that cutting back on sugar can make people dizzy and that he shouldn't cut back so much. Sure, doc, keep pushing poison.
I have to give him credit. I never thought he'd be able to do this. They halved his current dosage of generic norvasc. We're hoping if he keeps it up and loses a few more pounds that he'll be off the drugs completely.
I give him some chocolate now and then if he seems like he's going to lose it but other than that he's been really good. He does eat other carbs but he's not snacking on potato chips either.
Your husband is lucky to have you.
Sugar is food for cancer, not to mention diabetes, so everyone should go off it.
I used to be a BBQ potato chip fiend, but now that I eat healthy, I get a headache when I eat them. They are loaded with so many bad ingredients.
Give him my congrats. That is awesome and he should be proud.
Thanks for the reminder. I don't congratulate him enough.
I can't tell you how many bags of BBQ chips I have eaten in my life. It was my favorite when I was a kid. Here in California we used to have Laura Scudder's potato chips which were the best. Just as well we don't have them anymore.
And there are other options like anti inflammatories with positive side effects (anti-cancer) like low dose naltrexone.
I'd recommend curcumin, quercetin w/ bromelain and trans-resveratrol - all anti-inflammatory / antioxidant / anti-viral. There are others, too!
I'd recommend curcumin, quercetin w/ bromelain and trans-resveratrol - all anti-inflammatory / antioxidant / anti-viral. There are others, too!
LDN 👍👍
Dr. Michael Eades was discussing Viagra in his substack the other day. It was developed as a heart drug but got sidetracked :). He suggested that it is probably a much better drug for heart disease than statins but he couldn't find any RCT studies on it.
Good for you!
I feel fortunate that I read the book "How to Stop Your Doctor Killing You" by a British doctor named Vernon Coleman, which gave me encouragement and tools for saying no.
I recently had a nurse tell me I was the only patient she'd encountered in a long time who isn't taking meds (here in the US). Probably because I moved here from the UK where the NHS pays for the meds and not the patient so they don't prescribe wantonly. The NHS is about cost control rather than making profits from patients. That system has its own flaws, but it's a much better and fairer system than the one here in the US in my experience.
I have had to put PAs/NPs in their place myself, I tell my kids and others who will listen, you are your own advocate, you have to open up your mouth!!! It also behooves people to DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH!!! Look into what ails you, look first to see if there isn't anything homeopathic you can do first? Going to the doc should be the LAST option, not the first. I have the sinus/cold going around, been the THIRD TIME this season, means I have to beef up my immune system, what and how can I do that? research will tell me, and I will work on it.
Yes! I'm with you completely and take the same approach.
Same with vets. They rely on meds, vaxes, and surgery. Lots of holistic and natural treatments available that are much better, if you do some research online. My cat is far happier and healthier for it.
LOL, at first I thought you were talking about military vets until you said your cat...hahahahha, but same thing, yes, vets, from what I hear, can be just as bad as docs, not sure what your pet will get when they get their vaxxes or what is in their food from what I hear about many dogs dying from Purina pet foods???
Did not even think of vet double meaning!
Yes, I've heard about the Purina scandal. My cat will only eat a certain dry food, so I have started putting extra virgin coconut oil on his fur, which he then licks off, as well as on a problem area. His fur is now shiny healthy and the problem area has resolved. I also use it myself as body lotion.
I learned about using coconut oil from holistic vet Judy Morgan in her book Raising Naturally Healthy Pets. She's great on natural solutions.
That is awesome, may do that on my dog as no matter what we have tried, she is still flea ridden. Also been talking about in my classes about coconut water over water, has many of the minerals we need that we lack in our normal diets. You can trust most natural solutions because you either make it or you can read what actually goes in it!
I'm going through the flea thing with my cat right now and gotten it mostly under control -- it takes time with their laying cycle to get rid of them all.
Judy Morgan has a lot of different solutions to try. I've done dishwashing soap baths -- fleas die in soapy water instantly. But then they can be hard to reach in the fur, so I do a flea comb three times a day with my cat on the toilet lid. He loves it so much that I find him on the toilet lid waiting for me! It's also really good for his lymph system, particularly in winter when he sleeps a lot.
You can also slather the fur in coconut oil from top to bottom. Cover the furniture first -- only a problem the first day as it absorbs and rubs off but stays in the deep fur continuing to do its magic. That helped a lot.
Lemon juice from the inside of the lemon can also be combed through the fur -- fleas hate it. There are also essential oils they hate, which must be diluted first.
To get rid of fleas in the environment, boil then simmer 3-4 cut-up lemons with rinds in 2 cups water for about an hour. Cool overnight, strain, add 1.5 cups white vinegar, put in spray bottle, and use that to spray everything. As well as doing a regular vacuum as fleas can get in carpets.
Coconut water -- need to drink more of this then!
IDK, and trust your experience, but the Liverpool Care Pathway seemed to have knocked off a whole bunch of your elderly, even when they weren't terminal. Read up on the lady with the dislocated shoulder and the 'appendicitis' case who were unnecessarily sedated, denied nutrition and made DNR's without their consent. The reports sounded legit, but no way to verify. I can say that the LCP use of up to 60mg midazolam is deadly...
The NHS being government funded is subject to political pressures, and the handling of things during the pandemic across the country was ridiculous, harmful, and even fatal for so many people. Those kinds of incidents did happen, and so many people couldn't get any help or treatment at all.
But comparing the two systems I find the NHS preferable in a number of very important ways. If you have the money for private treatment, that's a different matter and the US is probably a better bet.
The budget is always the bottom line.
I live in the U.K., and if you are working, you do pay for meds (prescriptions). Of course, lots of people don’t work, retired, unemployed, children, but as I say…if you work, you pay, perhaps not the full cost, but depending on the medicine sometimes the prescription costs more than if you could buy the med yourself…
A common side effect of statins is Type 2 diabetes!
It seems as if everyone I know makes appointments for this "wellness" visit to doctors. How insane! You go to a doctor even though you feel fine? I thought they were for sick people. But I've now crossed that reason off my list. Maybe I'd show up at an E.R. for a broken bone, but I'm still thinking on that one.
My medicare plan incentivizes you with $15 on a debit card if you do a wellness check. Must be they were having trouble getting people to do these!
Mine too! The robo calls for my “in-home 😳😖wellness visit” come at least weekly. And I get a $40 Visa gift card for letting a stranger into my house to check my BP and make sure I am “safe”. Grrr!
From my children's intake forms: Are there guns in the house? Do your parents watch news shows, how many hours, what networks?...
I answered only the medically necessary questions and returned the 5 page form to the medical assistant, mostly blank.
When I went for my last (about 5 years ago) Medicare wellness visit they wanted me to draw hands on a clock & asked me what the date was!!! I answered “how do you think I got here by myself if I didn’t know what day or time it is???” Never went back for one of those. So demeaning!
We don't answer any questions that are not pertinent to the reason for the visit, we only go when absolutely necessary and we love our doctor - he has been my doctor since I was a teenager and he has been my husband's doctor since we were married over 30 years ago. During a visit several years ago re: concerns for aging family members, he told me that the reason they ask older patients to draw a clock is that people in the beginning stages of cognitive decline don't draw a clock normally, i.e., draw a circle, add the 12, 6, 9, and 3 numbers first, and then add the rest of the numbers. That way, the numbers are evenly spaced around the clock. People with cognitive deficits tend to start at 12 or 1, and then continue on around the clock face, but the spacing is all off.
Still, I get your point, it is insulting.
Mrs. "the Knife"
I wait until the waiting room (when I rarely go to Dr) to fill out forms so I can answer only questions that I find relevant and appropriate. If you try to do them online, as they push you to do, it won’t let you leave any of those questions blank.
Lie or tell them something vague. Seriously, people.
Not to mention to ensure your rights are taken away, e.g. 2nd amendment
Exactly…you beat me to it.
I lied in the last one, just to see if they’d label me depressed. I didn’t lie hard enough. It was useless, the “ wellness check up “
But disability makes me go or they threaten to review my case.
And an associated charge for this "mental health evaluation". So infuriating. I respectfully decline.
I decline very disrespectfully. They want to make you look less than capable.
EZ - don’t forget the Canadian ‘health’ system where they’ll also kindly offer medical murder.....
You do seem to have the kindest doctors!
For my last 7-8 blood pressure checks, I have had to instruct the tech on the proper protocol for taking an accurate blood pressure. And that means elevating the cuff to heart level, both feet on the floor, not chatting during the test and having the proper size cuff. One time I had to argue with the tech as she tried to use too small a cuff and finally pointed out that she had caused a bruise on the previous occasion. She consented to using an appropriated sized cuff and magically, my blood pressure numbers matched my readings from home. Since they use these numbers to push blood pressure drugs, is this on purpose?
How about the brisk march from the waiting room to the back room for the bp check. I’ve complained about that as well and had the Dr do a second check after I’m in the exam room for a while.
But they're so important and their time is so valuable, CarO Lyn! Of course you must march briskly and get a bp reading that requires meds so the appointment is worth their time.
Good for you insisting on a second check!
That's outrageous. Good for you getting the tech to do it properly.
Yes, those “wellness visits” appear to be a way to push vaccines.
The "wellness visits" for children are definitely to administer and push vaccines on the kids. Worked so well for the kiddos that they now do the same for all the adults. No reason for annual wellness visits for any age.
Yes! Back when we had insurance and our boys were babies/toddlers, I would take them in regularly like youre 'supposed to'. Once the doc mentioned some eczema under one of their arms (happens often w them in winter, especially during a growth spurt) ad to put aquaphor on it. I knew that (tho i dont use aquaphor) but duh, moisturize. Get the bill for the wellness check and everything was covered EXCEPT for $75- a "consultation fee". Because she said use moisturizer on dry skin for a baby. Make it make sense.
My doc asked me if I wanted him to bring up vaxes anymore because I always say "no, thanks". I suspect either he's getting people upset that he's pushing them or he's afraid I'm going to spout the research, or both.
Just like for babies
That’s so true. It’s disgusting. I do go to a private medical organization now and I have a wonderful PA. She does a pretty good job and asked a lot of good questions. My son is dating a wonderful Christian ER doctor. She advises her patients looking for a new primary to get PAs. She says the doctors are far too busy, and many of them very arrogant and prideful. the PAs I’ve had for the most part have been very good and much more concerned and take their time and ask good questions. There’s always an exception, of course.
Good suggestion. My doctor is actually not bad as he works in a small practice in a rural area, but he's a long drive so it would be good to find someone closer. If it snows I'm in trouble getting on his schedule again. Maybe a PA is a solution.
All of that stuff is for the specialists. They need to make sure YOUR money gets spread around evenly to every corner of the industrial medical complex.
My GP has us there for at least an hour and he goes through EVERYTHING.
This is my experience too.